Month: May 2016

After skipping the 2016 model year, the Accord Hybrid is back—and in style. Based on its EPA-estimated fuel economy, the 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid is now the most efficient midsize hybrid sedan on the market, with ratings of 49 mpg city, 47 mpg highway, and 48 mpg combined.

These values are about 4% higher than those of the outgoing model, which Honda claims was gained by totally re-engineering the powertrain; that includes revising the 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine and introducing new electric motors along with a lithium-ion battery pack.

The Accord Hybrid also features a new aluminum hood, but you wouldn’t be able to tell without closely peering at it. In fact, the hybrid is just like the conventional Accord in almost every way, save for the “EV Mode” button next to the center console.

Honda has launched an ad campaign that warns against the dangers of texting and driving —but instead of simply admonishing drivers who do it, the automaker went about the issue in a new, creative way.

The campaign launched with a series of short videos called #PhoneDownEyesUp that put the viewer in the shoes of someone attempting to text and do something else at the same time. The situations include cutting someone’s hair, gardening, vacuuming, or making pancakes.

Honda points out that studies have shown that “98% of people can’t multitask,” the underlying message being that even doing minor chores and tasks is difficult when focusing on the phone—so when it comes to a dangerous activity like driving, people really ought to be focusing on just that.